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CAR SEATS - General Child Safety Seat Questions, Help and AdviceVisitors, Please Use This Forum for Questions. Ask for help finding the best rear-facing, forward-facing or booster seat & learn safest practice to use it correctly for your littles! Discuss Infant, Convertible & Combination Seats, Automobile Compatibility, Three Across and Install Problems.

My son and DIL really need some advice on what to purchase. They were in a rear end collision almost a week ago. 9yr old had some glass in his head and DIL has whiplash other than that everyone is OK! They got a check from their insurance company this morning to purchase new car seats. They have an sm to avg height but light 9yr old right around 50lbs. They have a 6 yr old who is probably a bit on the tall side and very solid. She is probably closer to 60lbs than her 9yr old brother. Then there is the soon to be 3 yr old. She's on the small side at almost 30lbs and pretty short. They have no idea what kind of vehicle they will get as theirs was totaled in the crash. I think this has made the point that I've been hoping to get across that the 9yr old needs to be in a booster. The pediatrician told them he didn't need one when he turned 8. Seems that's Indiana law, dumb law. Money is very tight for them and I don't have much to help them out right now. Insurance gave them $150 for replacements. I can spare about $50. Suggestions please. I just want all the grand kids buckled in and safe. Thanks for your input.

Will they be getting a newer vehicle? If so, then a Cosco Apex 65 would work for the three year old and they are on sale for $89 at albeebaby.com. It's 4.95 for shipping, so not too bad. The vehicle needs to have headrests or tall seatbacks for the Apex, that's why I asked about the age of the vehicle. For the 9yr old, a backless booster would work if there are headrests or possibly a highback booster if the child isn't too tall. Two Recaro Vivos would be nice and they are right around $60 right now. That would be just slightly more than $200. If the 9yr old is too tall for the highback, then one Vivo and a backless like the Graco Turbo would work.

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Jacky, CPST and mom to Kenzie(5) and Maverick(3) Riding in a Frontier, Marathon 70 and Radian, Safety 1st Store N Go and Evenflo Right Fit

Will they be getting a van or something with 3 rows, or do they need to get all 3 kids across in 1 row? the Apex will not work in most vehicles in 3 across.

If you could also find out the torso heights of all three kids, we could make recommendations that would work for the kids, and hopefully keep under budget. To measure torso, just sit the kids against a wall, have them sit criss-cross and measure from the floor to their shoulder.

At Albeebaby.com they can get two highbacked Graco Turboboosters and one 50# Alpha Omega Elite shipped for under $200. The Alpha Omega is a lousy booster, so plan to move the 3yo into one of the Turboboosters when s/he outgrows the harness. I'll be back with links soon...

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CPST and Mama to a 12yo girl, 5-stepped at age 10 and 5'

At 9, I would think a LBB would be fine, and you can find many for around $20. Then a hbb for the 6yo (the turbobooster you can often fine for $40) and then I'd try to see if there was any way to get a graco nautilus for the 3yo (often can find them for around $150) which puts you only $10 over.

At 9, I would think a LBB would be fine, and you can find many for around $20. Then a hbb for the 6yo (the turbobooster you can often fine for $40) and then I'd try to see if there was any way to get a graco nautilus for the 3yo (often can find them for around $150) which puts you only $10 over.

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